Senior Product Developer

Fashion & Retail Personnel; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Fashion & Retail Personnel in London seeks an experienced Senior Product Developer to lead the development process from concept through pre-production. You will drive fabrics, trims, fit, construction and supplier partnerships, while mentoring a growing Product Development team.

You will collaborate with Design, Technical, Production and Supply Chain to turn creative ideas into commercially viable products, negotiating costs and maintaining margins.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in apparel product development with deep fabrication knowledge.
• Experience in ready-to-wear, premium apparel, uniforms, workwear or technical product welcomed.
• Strong technical knowledge, product instinct and ability to make things happen.

Responsibilities

• Lead product development from concept to pre-production.
• Sourcing and development of fabrics, trims and testing.
• Create and approve tech packs, BOMs and specs.
• Collaborate with Design, Technical, Production and Supply Chain.
• Manage sampling and pre-production approvals.
• Mentor and lead the Product Development team.
• Develop supplier partnerships and monitor costs.

Skills

Fabric knowledge

Trim knowledge

Construction knowledge

Fit understanding

Pattern understanding

Supplier management

Negotiation skills

Technical drawing

Excel

Illustrator

Tools

Illustrator

Excel

Job description

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Product Developer to join a brilliant London-based apparel business, taking the lead on product development from initial concept right through to pre-production.

This is a great role for someone who loves the detail behind making exceptional product – fabrics, trims, fit, construction, sourcing and development – but also wants the autonomy to lead projects, influence suppliers and develop a team.

The role

Sitting at the heart of the product process, you'll work closely with Design, Technical, Production and Supply Chain to turn creative concepts into commercially viable, beautifully executed product.

You’ll be getting stuck into:

• Leading product development from concept to pre-production
• Fabric and trim sourcing, development and testing
• Creating and approving tech packs, BOMs and specifications
• Working closely with international suppliers and factories
• Negotiating costs and achieving target margins
• Leading fit sessions alongside Design and Technical
• Managing sampling and pre-production approvals
• Owning the development critical path across multiple projects
• Signing off fabrics, trims, branding and development samples
• Exploring new materials, techniques and sustainable solutions
• Working directly with clients on development projects
• Leading and mentoring the wider Product Development team

Who are we looking for?

You’ll need 7+ years' experience in apparel product development and a seriously strong understanding of how garments are actually made.

Your background could be within ready-to-wear, premium apparel, uniforms, workwear or technical product – we’re more interested in your technical knowledge, product instinct and ability to make things happen.

You’ll bring:

• Brilliant fabric, trim and construction knowledge
• Strong fit and pattern understanding
• Experience managing suppliers and factories
• Confident costing and negotiation skills
• Excellent technical drawing skills
• Illustrator and strong Excel skills
• Experience managing complex critical paths
• Strong commercial awareness
• Leadership or mentoring experience
• A genuine interest in innovation, sustainability and better ways of developing product

Why this one?

It’s a role with real ownership.

You’ll be able to influence how product is developed, introduce new ideas and materials, build strong supplier partnerships and help shape the development function – while still staying close to the actual product.

Perfect for an experienced Product Developer who wants more responsibility, more influence and plenty of variety.